Individuals have been labelled and registered since the beginning of the emigration to the United States. These practices have continued until the present day, and perceived insecurities in the world politics have without a doubt made these practices more acceptable in the name of a national se-curity. According to social psychologists, the classification of people and objects is a common trait among human beings, and its original purpose in cognitive processing is to make sense of the complicated world and effectively and quickly produce essential information on the surrounding environment. This character has for centuries helped human beings to cope with the flood of sen-sory information and to survive in situations which they might have considered threatening.
Nevertheless, a classification of individuals, and especially racial profiling, might lead to misunderstandings and to a serious discrimination. Negative effects of racial profiling include, for instance, denied opportunities both in education and in labor market, limited future prospects, de-creased political activity, and even difficulties in finding a decent accommodation if possible fu-ture tenants are subjected to racism. Therefore, it is important to research and address negative consequences of racial profiling and create practices to prevent them.
Social processes related to immigration are often explained by using assimilationist theo-ries on immigration. These theories regard the society as a consensual structure and the arrival of immigrants usually represent a disruption for the society. Assimilation of the newcomers is a meas-ure that restores status quo in the society. According to these theories, immigrants represent a minority group in their new homeland, and acculturation of values and norms of majority is an inevitable phase in assimilation process. Sociologist Milton Gordon considers this acculturation as the beginning of the assimilation process and distinguishes several subsequent stages of assimila-tion. Furthermore, he distinguishes three ideological stances towards immigrants. Several scholars argue that Anglo conformity and the melting-pot thesis are prevailing ideologies cherished in the contemporary United States. Both of these ideologies support discrimination in a form or another.
Perceived ethnicity might have positive consequences as it creates an in-group feeling and solidarity among individuals. On the other hand, this categorization is the first stage of ethnic 2
profiling with its negative outcomes. Marcos Pizarro claims that students with certain ethnic back-ground are not even expected to be successful in school or life. They are subjected to disciplinary measures more often than their peers, who belong to the majority, and, due to discrimination, they might lack learning opportunities in the school. Furthermore, stereotypes produced and reproduced by the majority create and maintain an ethnic identity that in most cases has negative impacts on student’s school experiences and performance. It works like a self-fulfilling prophecy.
American core society is constructed in a way that favors certain values and norms, and class mobility is still a rare phenomenon despite common images and stereotypes associated with the United States. True cultural pluralism does not yet exist in the United States, and therefore, second-generation immigrants face discrimination and prejudices. Physical features, available job opportunities and social factors are challenges these individuals face in the American society. It is possible to rise in social hierarchies but it often requires a strong assimilation, a certain character and hard work. Those individuals, who wish to maintain their class status, often cherish strong family ties and support family values instead of financial success. A minority status may also lead to a downward assimilation if a person with immigrant ancestors lacks support from his or her community and adopts a lifestyle that is in conflict with the values and norms of the core society
Unfortunately, there is no quick solution for diminishing negative outcomes of racial pro-filing and discrimination. Education as well as a courage to act against discrimination seem to be the most effective tools in fighting against prejudices. Cherishing good relationships between hu-man groups and awareness of the harmful impacts of discrimination are the first steps on a path towards true equality in the American society.
Bibliography:
Pettigrew, Thomas F. 1998. Intergroup Contact Theory. Annual Review of Psychology 49 (1): 65–85.
Pizarro, M. 2005, Chicanas and Chicanos in School: Racial Profiling, Identity Battles, and Em-powerment, University of Texas Press, Austin.
Portes, Alejandro, and Rubén G. Rumbaut. 2014. Immigrant America: A Portrait. 4th ed. Oak-land, California: University of California Press.
———. 2001. Legacies: The Story of the Immigrant Second Generation. Berkeley: University of California Press.